Words
by TheOtakuMom
Summary: Shuichi longs to have Eiri write something for him and him alone... YukiXShu this has evolved into a multichapter fic...so please R&R to amuse my muse and keep it going!
1. Chapter 1

_**Ok folks, this story popped into my head after watching "Lyrics of Love" for the hundredth time and refused to leave me alone!! It's just a bit of nonsense, but I just couldn't keep it to myself any longer! This is my first Gravitation story, so please be kind!**_

_**Disclaimer: I own the series. I own the OVAs. Unfortunately they won't let me buy the copyright. They won't even let me rent them! Greedy bastards……..**_

* * *

Silvery moonlight trailed its soft rays over the two lovers curled between silken sheets. Yuki watched with a small smile as Shuichi's slim finger faintly drew the kanji for 'love' on his sweat glistened chest. Over and over he repeated the process as though it would permanently brand the young author. Never the one to be openly verbal about his deep feelings for Shuichi, he pressed a kiss into the singer's unruly burgundy locks.

Shuichi smiled and sighed contentedly against Yuki's shoulder. "I love you, too."

Yuki Eiri chuckled softly before heaving an exhausted sigh and letting his heavy lids slowly drift close. It had been a long, stressful day of writing to meet the final deadline of his latest novel, followed by an intense round of lovemaking with Shuichi to help the hyper little vocalist burn off some of his boundless energy. It was always the best – not to mention most pleasurable – way to ensure they would both get some much needed sleep! But now, Eiri was more than happy to finally surrender to the lure of sweet oblivion.

Shuichi continued to run his fingertip across the writer's slick skin in a slow, soothing motion while humming the song he'd performed for his love at the Tokyo Music Fest two years ago. Things between them had never been easy, but at least now they were a tad bit more stable. Letting the tensions of the day melt away as he lulled Yuki to sleep, a sudden thought snagged in his brain. "Yuki?" he called softly.

"Hmm?"

"Are you asleep?"

"I would be if you would shut the hell up," Yuki murmured tersely.

Shuichi was undaunted by the curt tone and propped himself up on one elbow. "Can I ask you something?"

Cracking one eyelid open just enough to glare at the singer he grumbled, "If I said 'no' would you shut up and let me sleep?"

"No," Shuichi replied with a wide, mischievous grin.

"Will this take long?"

"That all depends on your answer."

The groan of resignation that escaped his lover was all the encouragement Shuichi needed. Sitting up, he turned to face Yuki and drew his knees up to his chest. "Why don't you ever write anything for me?"

Breathing out a long suffering sigh, he sat up as well. He'd known this question would pop up sooner or later, he'd just prayed that it would have been much, much later. "I wrote you a song," he shot back.

That reminder had the singer's back stiffening in protest. "A song that you gave to Nittle Grasper to perform!" he whined.

"Oh, for Buddha's sake! Seguchi let you release your own version, didn't he?

Before the familiar argument could escalate further, Shuichi took a calming breath and let his face settle into his most serious visage. "Never mind that. I meant, you're this great author, published in forty different languages and people all over the world get to drown in your words. We've been together over two years now, Eiri, and the most romantic thing you've written for me is 'I'm booked all day, don't wait up'!"

Eiri stared at him, struck dumb at the vision Shuichi presented to him. It was moments like these that he realized just how much the brat had been trying to grow up. The moonlight caught and shimmered on the tears that glistened in those deep violet orbs. His eyes always had the unique ability to raise his lagging spirits into the heavens or rip the beating heart from his chest, as they were doing right now. The soft light bathed the singer's lithe, naked form, making his skin seem almost ethereal in its glow. The creative side of his brain that never really rested stored the descriptions away for a later time as he tenderly cupped Shuichi's cheek. "Is it really that important?"

Shuichi nodded slowly as a single tear managed to escape his desperate hold on them and trailed down the side of his face.

Eiri gently wiped the droplet away with the pad of his thumb. "Fine then. I'll write something just for you, Shuichi."

"_Really?!_" he cried in elation, flying into his lover's arms and tumbling them both back onto the pillows. "Really, truly?"

"I said I would, didn't I? Now go to sleep you damn brat!"

* * *

The next morning, Yuki Eiri sat at his desk waiting for the last pages of the manuscript to finish printing. As he slowly sipped his coffee, his gaze fixed on the stupid photo sticker Shuichi had stuck to the top right hand corner of the laptop's monitor. Golden eyes softened as his thoughts drifted back to that long ago day spent at Odiaba Amusement Park. Unfortunately, those pleasant memories never failed to lead to the darker and infinitely more tormented ones of his distant past. Pinching the bridge of his nose to ease the tension that was beginning to build behind his eyes, he thought, _Will I never be free of this torture?_

Shaking those desolate thoughts away, Eiri murmured to the tiny, exuberant face in the photo, "Even after all this time, I still can't figure you out. How can you love someone as fucked up as I am?"

"_Printing complete,"_ the electronic voice informed him. Gathering the thick sheaf of papers and stuffing them into their envelope, Yuki sighed. "I'm a real bastard to you most of the time, yet you always come back begging for more! And now you want me to write something for you…." After downing the last of his now cold coffee, he smirked wryly. "If you only knew that everything I've written since meeting you has a small piece of you in it!"

He set the mug down and slid the legal pad in front of him. A wicked grin flashed across his features before he pulled an envelope out of the desk's center drawer.

"Wake up, Brat!" Yuki called angrily from the doorway.

Shuichi mumbled incoherently and flopped onto his stomach. Eiri rolled his eyes dramatically before marching to the end of the massive bed, grabbed one slender ankle in a brutal grip and literally dragged the unconscious boy from the soft mattress.

Warm, pliant flesh met the cold, unyielding wood floor with enough force to wake the dead. "YUKIIIIIIII!" Shuichi shrieked in outrage.

"Should have gotten your lazy ass up," he replied flippantly while putting flame to the unlit cigarette that dangled from his lips. "Sakano just called rambling on about the track you finished yesterday getting lost or something."

Pounding the floor with both fists in a full blown temper, Shuichi screamed. "AH SHIT! You have _**got**_ to be kidding me!! It's not fair!! My first day off in over a month…." He sniffled a bit and looked up at his lover apologetically. "I was going to order us a fancy dinner and everything!" That was when he noticed the delectable sight of Eiri in a pair of perfectly tailored jet black dress pants and the azure silk shirt he'd given the writer for his birthday. "Where are you going so early?" he asked in disappointment. Yuki never dressed like that just for him.

"Don't you know how to read a calendar, you idiot?" he asked in a gruff tone while exhaling a lungful of smoke. "You aren't the only one with deadlines to meet!"

"Oh," the singer said, blushing slightly at the reprimand. "Will you be gone all day?"

Yuki shrugged his shoulders noncommittally and said, "I have no idea, but it sounds like you'll be the one working into the wee hours tonight." He turned to head off down the hallway and called over his shoulder. "I left you a quick breakfast on the table. Better get your ass in gear, Shu. Hiro will be here any minute. I'll see you later."

Shuichi sat on the floor in silent shock. Yuki calling him by that shortened nickname was akin to saying, 'I love you'! He bolted to his feet and chased after the blonde.

Pounding footsteps was the only warning Eiri got before Shuichi launched himself onto his back, squealing in an octave high enough that it should have shattered every piece of glass in the apartment! However, he couldn't help but smile as his arms automatically hooked the firm legs to prevent the boy from sliding off.

"You're the best, Yuki!"

"Yeah, Yeah." He reached back far enough to place a sharp SMACK on the singer's bare ass and chuckled. "I wonder if the editors will wait a few hours…."

"Don't tease me like that," Shuichi laughed. "Besides, even if they do, I doubt K will." He continued to cling to Eiri's neck until they reached the living room, nibbling on the cuff of his earlobe before dropping to the floor. "I'll try to make it home early tonight so we can celebrate."

"Don't kill yourself on my account, Brat," Eiri warned as he stubbed out the cigarette. "We can't do much celebrating if you're falling asleep in your soup!"

Shuichi sighed dejectedly. "It's just the lamest kind of luck! I can't believe we have to cut the whole song again!"

Tipping the boy's chin up to meet his gaze, Eiri soothed, "It's not like you're starting from scratch, right? They know the music, you know the song, so just get in there and get it done. If it helps just picture me naked in the back of the room…."

"If I do that, I won't be able to sing a single note!" he giggled. "Thanks Yuki. You're the best."

"Don't forget it, lover-boy."

Shuichi stuck his tongue out at the author. "Jerk! Go meet with your publishers, I'll call you later." He placed a tender kiss upon Eiri's lips before moving back to the bedroom to dress.

Gathering his briefcase and keys from the coffee table, Eiri moved to the front door while calling back, "Better dress warm, it's supposed to be a bit chilly today!"

"I love you, too," came the sing song voice just before water from the shower was heard.

When Shuichi's voice rose above the powerful spray, Eiri shook his head and smiled as he slipped into his loafers and left their apartment. _It might just be a good day after all…_

* * *

In record time, Shuichi was showered, hair fashionably mussed and dressed in his favorite pair of black jeans with neon blue zebra stripes and plain black t-shirt. He tossed the blue hooded sweatshirt onto the couch before heading to the kitchen for a quick bite before Hiro arrived. There on the table sat the bright green metallic travel mug Yuki had brought back for him from his last trip to the States, two of his favorite protein bars and a glass of orange juice. He downed the juice, scarfed down one of the bars and was about to open the other when he noticed the long envelope propped against the salt shaker.

His name was written in Eiri's elegant scrawl across the front, so he lifted it with slightly trembling fingers. He slowly turned it over, and there on the flap he had written, "How do I love thee?" Shuichi squealed like a school girl at those words and his trepidation quickly turned to anticipation. He carefully broke the seal and pulled the precisely tri-folded paper from the packet. "Let me count the ways…." Heart thundering in his chest, the singer just stared at the words for a moment before closing his eyes, lifting the first fold, then the next. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes, ready to drown in the loving accolades of his Eiri. "1. Who said anything about love??"

Shuichi's eye's bulged from their sockets at the cruel words. "YUKI!! WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO ME?" He scanned the long page again to make sure that there wasn't some form of tender words of love he'd missed. There down at the very bottom was written in very tiny letters, "See you tonight" accompanied by a little smiley face.

_SMILEY FACE? _Shuichi's face split into a brilliant smile. "He drew me a smiley face!"

* * *

_**Well, there you have it. I'm undecided if I should continue this or leave it as it is, so I shall leave the choice in your wonderful hands. Drop me a review and let me know what you think!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**_And the masses have spoken!! Many thanks to all my reiviewers who unanimously decided this story need a bit more! Heaven only knows where these characters will take me, but I have a few ideas. I ask you to be patient when it comes to updates on this story as I'm writing as I go without any real map!_**

**_So without further ado, here is the next installment. Don't forget to review and let me know what you thought, if they were a bit too OOC, or if you have any really good ideas....no citrus tho. I may put one in, but no promises...I will however have lots of juicy lead in's for your overactive imaginations!! Enjoy!_**

**_Disclaimer: Not mine, but oh, how I wish...I told Santa I've been really good this year!_**

Chapter 2:

"You're taking a _**what?**_"

Eiri leaned casually against the plush cushions of the corner booth in the high-end restaurant and gazed coolly at his editor. "I'm taking a vacation," he stated nonchalantly while lighting his cigarette. "I think I've earned one after all these years, don't you?"

The petite woman gaped incredulously at her favorite and most profitable author. "That's just it. You _never_ take a vacation! You're like some kind of machine!"

Leaning forward so that his elbows rested on the table and his loosely fisted hands covered the sly grin; Eiri blew out a thin stream of smoke and looked Mizuki dead in the eye. "Even the best machines need thier gears greased now and then. That is why I will be taking an extended hiatus. All I've done for the past four years is push out one volume of senseless drivel after another."

"You and I both know that's not true," she scoffed. "You don't write anything remotely close to 'drivel'."

He nodded his head once in acknowledgement. "Be that as it may, I need a break. There is a…." he paused to search his mind for the one word that would not only convey the necessity of his actions, but would also leave his editor satisfied enough to leave him alone. "Let's just say it's a personal project that has consumed my attention of late."

She shot him a skeptical glare. "Does this have something to do with a certain singer that lives with you?"

_Perceptive little wench…then again, that's why I've stuck with her for so long._ "Perhaps just a little," Eiri chuckled and took another long drag from his smoke. "The point is, the well has run a bit dry of late, so perhaps a little distraction will get things flowing again."

"I don't really have a choice, do I?"

"No, you don't," he stated coldly as he stubbed out the cigarette. "I just thought I'd tell you so you could inform the publisher not to set any new deadlines for me."

"How long do you plan on taking?"

Eiri rose, threw some bills on the table and said, "I'll give you a call in a week or two."

"Wait! Eiri, please," she called to his retreating figure. Mizuki sighed heavily before gathering the thick envelope containing the last chapters of Yuki Eiri's manuscript for his latest—possibly _final _– novel with the words 'Forever Blue' across the front. "The boss is not going to be happy about this…."

* * *

"Wonder what kind of mood Shuichi's going to be in today," the young keyboardist pondered aloud to the group gathered in the conference room.

"I'll put a hundred on depressed beyond belief so that he won't be able to sing," Sakano whined pitifully. "If we don't get this track cut by tomorrow morning, the President will have my head on a platter!"

"Oh quit your whining!" K barked at the overly dramatic producer. "I'll lay odds on furious, considering that he wrote this ballad for Yuki-san and, for once, has worked tirelessly to perfect it; only to have it mysteriously come up missing!"

Suguru tilted his head in thought. "I don't know…" When the others merely gaped at him he explained, "I have a strange feeling that Shuichi's going to be in a really good mood, regardless of the fact that we all had to come in on our first day off in weeks."

"That's quite the odd statement coming from you, Fujisaki," K intoned curiously.

The keyboardist shrugged ambiguously and returned to the magazine article he had been reading. "I know, but it's enough of a feeling to lay money down on it." They all looked up when Hiro entered. "Ohayo gozaimasu," they called to the guitarist in unison.

"Ohayo," he replied softly.

"Where is Shindo-kun?" Sakano queried when Hiro just stood there casually propping the door open.

"Oh, he's coming…"

He no sooner got the words out of his mouth when the singer came vaulting into the room, performing a flawless back-flip and ending in a dramatic—and potentially painful—split. "Isn't it great to be alive?!" Shuichi cried boisterously.

"Why yes it is, Shindo-san!" Suguru held his hand out to collect his reward money from the disgruntled manager and whining producer. "It's refreshing to see you in such a good mood today."

"Yuki drew me a smiley face," he sighed dreamily with hearts dancing in his eyes.

At the confused glances around the table, Hiro shook his head sadly and spoke up. "Don't ask if you hope to get any work done today."

"Right!" K declared. Pulling the long-barreled Magnum from its holster, he pointed it at Shuichi's temple and ordered, "Into the studio with you! We have less than twenty four hours to re-cut this track!"

For once, K's assertiveness didn't scare Shuichi. In fact, _nothing _could ruin this perfect day for him! The sun was shining, birds were singing, Yuki loved him, and he would get to sing his love for the author over and over again while recording Bad Luck's newest ballad! Life just didn't get much better than this!

Late that evening, Eiri stood just outside the door of NG's Studio 2, listening to his lover's soulful voice proclaim his affections in song. He smiled softly to himself as the words wrapped around him like a warm blanket on a cold winter's day. "Not bad, Shu…"

"Good afternoon, Eiri," Seguchi Tohma crooned as he approached.

Yuki pushed himself away from the wall and nodded at his brother in law. "Come to check up on me, Tohma?"

"Not at all," he replied with a genuine smile. "I didn't even know you were here, to be totally honest. I came down to look into the progress they were making before heading for home."

Narrowing his eyes, Eiri couldn't help but ask, "Did you have anything to with the song being lost in the first place?"

Seguchi drew himself up to his full height—even though it was still meager in comparison to that of his brother in law -- and sniffed derisively. "I know I've done some things that I'm not exactly proud of, but I would never interfere with their work like that, Eiri. This is business; everything else was personal."

"You mean it was all about you and Mika trying to control my life," he shot back bitterly.

"No, we thought we were doing what was best for you. But that's all behind us now. We've come to accept the fact that Shindo-san is a part of your life whether we like it or not. If that is what makes you happy, then I suppose that we have no choice but to accept it." Deciding to let the matter drop, the short blonde abruptly changed the subject. "What do you think of the new song?"

Eiri smiled wryly. "The kid's finally learning how to write lyrics."

"It's about you, ne?"

"Aren't they all?"

"I suppose, but this is the first one that has your name in it."

"No, not my name, it's a memory."

Tohma cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "How so?"

"He's singing about the first snowfall of the winter. We took a walk through the park," he explained, his voice softening as he recalled the time spent with his lover. "It was late, after midnight I think and he was so excited when he spotted the first flakes outside the window. So we bundled up and just walked for hours as the snow fell steadily around us…."

"Well, I think it's the best work he's done so far," Seguchi said with a smile. "If nothing else, his relationship with you seems to be a wellspring of inspiration for him."

"Which means higher profits for you?" Eiri sneered.

"Always the cynical one," Tohma chuckled. "I'm still a musician at heart, even if Nittle Grasper is nothing more than a cameo group when the urge strikes Ryuichi to record again."

"Bitter, aren't we?"

"On the contrary, it works out well for all of us. Noriko has a family, I have NG and a very pregnant Mika, and Ryuichi…" His voice trailed as he thought of his dear friend. "Well, let's just say that Ryuichi will forever remain young at heart and a slave to his own whims. I have a feeling we will be back in the studio once he hears Bad Luck's new single."

The music inside the small room came to an elegant conclusion featuring Suguru's talent on the synthesizers. Sakano's voice announced, "That's a wrap! Congratulations!" and boisterous laughter rang through the room as the members of Bad Luck filed from the booth.

Leading the way into the studio, Seguchi applauded the group's success. "I'm very impressed with your dedication," he told them cheerfully. "I want to assure you that the persons responsible for losing the original track have been duly reprimanded."

"You didn't fire them, did you?" Shuichi protested.

"No, Shindo-san. They were re-assigned," the president assured him. What he didn't say was that the technicians were now lowly janitors who, if they wanted to remain employed by NG, would have to work their way slowly back up the corporate ladder. "You have a visitor by the way."

Shuichi's mouth gaped. "Me?"

"Hungry, Brat?" Eiri asked from the doorway.

"YUKI! What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be late?"

Eiri shrugged and leaned elegantly against the door frame. "I finished earlier than expected and was bored. Besides, you promised me dinner."

Shuichi grinned from ear to ear before looking toward his band mates. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. _I_ have a date! Have fun with Ayaka at karaoke!" After nudging Hiro playfully in the ribs, he ran over to his lover and hooked arms with him. "Let's go, Yuki!"

Eiri nodded to the room at large, fixed K with a glare and said in perfect English, "Don't go ballistic if he's a bit late in the morning. And don't even think of calling or sending anyone to get him." At the manager's 'humph', the writer smirked and led the oblivious singer down the hallway.

"Yuki?"

"Yes, Shu?"

"Did you just threaten K?"

Eiri chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Not in so many words, no. I just told him you might be a bit late in the morning."

"Oh," he sighed, before realization finally dawned. "OH!"

"When does the new single come out?" the writer asked distractedly as they stepped into the elevator.

"Next week. K has a million interviews and appearances lined up between now and then, so I probably won't be home much." Shuichi leaned against Eiri's side, thoroughly exhausted, yet blissfully awake at the same time. "So where did you want to eat?"

"At home," the writer answered while wrapping his arm around Shuichi's shoulders.

"You want me to cook you something?"

"No thanks. I've had enough microwave food to last me a lifetime!" He handed the boy his phone and ordered, "Call for pizza and we'll pick it up on the way home."

Shuichi complied immediately with a smile. It wasn't often that Yuki let him order the food, so this was almost as good as being allowed to cook for the man! When the author didn't pull away as was his habit when the doors slid open, Shuichi's smile beamed brighter than ever and he wrapped his free arm around Yuki's waist as they walked through the still crowded lobby.

A small group of reporters rushed forward, but stilled at Yuki's raised hand. "No comments, no questions. Shuichi's exhausted." He placed the dark sunglasses over his golden eyes and quickly ushered the boy out of the building.

* * *

Shuichi continued to glance warily at the blonde man across the table. _Something's just not right here…_ He knew that he shouldn't question Eiri's odd behavior; he should just accept and move on. Even still, the singer couldn't shake this uneasy feeling that was lodged in the pit of his stomach.

"Yuki," he began hesitantly.

"Hm?" The author took another bite of the pizza, silently relishing in the way the cheese oozed in his mouth and the sublime pleasure that was wrought from the combined flavors of his favorite toppings.

"Are you feeling okay? I mean, is something the matter?"

Eiri blinked in surprise. "What makes you think there's something wrong?" he asked after swallowing what now tasted like a mouthful of dust.

"Um, well, you let me order the pizza," Shuichi stammered.

"It's one of the few things you're good at," he scoffed lightly, reaching for another slice. "This is almost as good as that Pizzeria in New York we went to."

"The owners are American."

"Well that explains a lot."

Shuichi studied his lover under the cover of his thick burgundy bangs. "You're being really nice, Yuki. I don't get it…"

The two men stared at each other until the silence became almost stifling. "Hey, Shu," Eiri began in a soft voice while wiping his mouth with the linen napkin. "We've been together, what, about two years now?"

"Two years, seven months, 15 days," the singer proudly declared.

"Right," he said with a chuckle. "So why do you _still_ think something's wrong when I'm in a good mood?"

Shuichi lowered his violet gaze to his plate, caught off guard by the gentleness behind the accusation in his lover's voice. "It's not that I think there's anything wrong with you being in a good mood, really. I guess it's more like I just get nervous about the _bad_ mood that always follows."

"Point taken," Eiri sighed in resignation. "I have an idea, Shuichi. Why don't we get away from Tokyo for a few days?"

"Do you mean it?" he cried excitedly.

"Why not? We've both met our deadlines ahead of schedule for once, so the timing is perfect."

Shuichi's eyes grew to the size of saucers, the violet orbs sparkling with unadulterated joy. Just as he was about to lunge across the table at his lover, a sudden – and completely depressing—thought made the singer sink low in his chair.

Eiri had closed his eyes and braced for the inevitable impact, not to mention the shattering of the dishes and wine glasses on the table. When nothing happened, however, he ventured a peek at the young man. Seeing the utter desolation of the usually hyper-active singer, he inquired, "What is it, Shuichi? I thought you'd be ecstatic over the prospect."

"I am," he assured softly.

"Then why do you look like I just torched your favorite Nittle Grasper video?"

"There's just no way!" he whined mournfully. "The single will be released in a week! K will shoot me if I even hint I want any time off now! He's got us booked solid with a gazillion different things every day from dawn till dusk!" By this time, the pitiful whine had evolved into a full blown keening wail of despair. "Tohma's been all over us to get the rest of the tracks cut for the CD and I've worked my ass off for the past three months to get it all done and now you're being super nice and sweet to me and asking me to go away with you and I CAN'T!"

Sitting back in his chair, the blonde sipped his wine thoughtfully. _Seguchi and K, huh? Perhaps it's time to remind both of them that all work and no play makes Shuichi's lover a very mean son of a bitch!_ "Stop that damn caterwauling!" he barked, regretting the angry tone instantly when Shuichi jumped. "I will take care of those two, don't worry. You clean up this mess; I have a few phone calls to make.

"A-alright, Eiri," he hiccupped. "I'll meet you in the living room when you're done. I l-love you."

Eiri ruffled Shuichi's unruly locks as he passed. "I won't be long."

* * *

Leaning against the wall in the hallway, Eiri watched his lover tap a sock-clad foot in time to the melody in his head. By the timing of the bouncing toes, he knew that it wasn't the slow ballad from earlier. No, this was a more upbeat tempo that, although he was loath to admit it, had him curious. But it just wouldn't do to come right out and ask Shuichi what it was.

An evil smirk graced his lips as he pushed off the wall and strode to the couch. The closer he got, the louder the soft hum that escaped the singers lips became. His lids were closed as he lay on his back on the supple leather couch with his arms crossed behind his head and his left leg propped on the right knee.

_The brat needs a hair cut…_ Long, tapered fingers captured a lock of the silky tendrils. _But I'm half afraid what color it will be when he comes out of there!_ Over the past two years Shuichi had experimented with every shade known to man and quite possibly a few that weren't. The blonde was atrocious and he'd told the singer so. 'Makes you look like a damn corpse!' In all actuality, the look had reminded him entirely too much of Tohma; the thought of sleeping with a 'wanna-be Seguchi' still sent shivers down his spine! Within a week, Shu had gone from one extreme to the next, coming home with hair blacker than the abyss. Although it was more tolerable, it was just too somber for his hyper little Shu-han. Unfortunately, they were due to leave for New York within the hour, so he'd had to deal with it.

Now, however, Eiri had grown accustomed to the almost purple tint that nearly matched the singers eyes in the sunlight. In fact, he could honestly say it was his favorite hue so far, though never where the perky pest would hear him. Letting the hair slip from his fingers, he decided it was time for a little payback and plopped his ass inelegantly right on top of Shuichi's chest.

"Gah! Can't breathe!"

"Oh, sorry, Shuichi. I didn't notice you sprawled all over my couch!" he replied sardonically without moving.

"Yuki," the singer gasped while trying to push the heavier man off him. "Need air!"

Eiri leaned down far enough to ease the pressure on Shuichi's chest with his hands braced on either side of the boy's head. "You mean you don't have enough in that empty head of yours?"

"Meanie!" Shuichi stuck his tongue out petulantly.

"Put that away unless you intend to use it," the writer warned in a seductive growl before swooping in to claim the pink appendage.

When Eiri finally broke the deep kiss for some much needed oxygen, Shuichi could only stare at him in wide-eyed astonishment. "Do you have a fever?"

"What the fuck are you babbling about?"

"You're being nice _and _playful!" Shu chuckled. "It's beginning to creep me out!"

"There's just no pleasing you, is there?" Eiri sighed. "If I don't pay attention to you, I'm an asshole. When I do, I'm a creep! What the hell do you want from me?" He rose from the couch and began to walk toward his office.

Before he could slam the door in frustration, Shuichi's foot halted the process. "Wait, Eiri! I was just shocked! Don't be like that!"

"Get out!"

"But…"

"I've got work to do."

"I thought you said you were done!" Shuichi pouted. "If you weren't, then why did you say we could take a vacation?"

Eiri shot the petulant boy a fulminating glare and growled, "Just forget I mentioned it." Opening the laptop he focused all of his attention on typing the words that flowed effortlessly from his brain to his fingers. He heard Shuichi sigh heavily before shuffling out of the room, quietly shutting the door behind him.

_Way to go, Shuichi! Eiri's finally in a good mood and you just __had__ to piss him off! Baka, baka, BAKA!_ Flopping down on the couch, he pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his head, tears of frustration leaking from his eyes. _This could have been one of those really rare, really great nights alone with Yuki and I just blew it big time!_ The singer racked his mind for a way to make it up to his lover.

In his office, Eiri pounded on the keyboard. He hadn't lied to Shuichi when he'd said he was going to work, at least not entirely. What he hadn't said was that he'd finally had an idea what to base Shuichi's 'story' on. If only his published stories would flow this effortlessly!

* * *

Pushing back from his desk with a relieved sigh, Eiri tossed his glasses down and glanced at the ridiculous Bad Luck clock that hung on the wall. The hands that were shaped like guitars indicated that it was now after one o'clock in the morning. "No wonder he's been so quiet," the author murmured as he shut the laptop and rose.

The house was deathly quiet and dark as a tomb. Checking the living room, he found a note on the couch and felt his heart plummet. Picking the paper up, he took a moment to decipher Shuichi's deplorable penmanship before sighing in relief.

_Went to bed. _

_I'm sorry._

_See you in the morning? _

_Love, Shu…._

Eiri's lips softened into a smile. Tossing the note aside, he strode purposefully down the hallway into their bedroom. The site that greeted him was almost laughable. Shuichi laid sprawled on his stomach wearing one of Yuki's black dress shirts; probably the silk one that had been in the hamper.

Approaching the bed slowly, the author's nose detected the soft scent of strawberries wafting from the sheets. That -- mixed with the lingering cologne on his shirt -- sent shivers of delight along his nerves. He leaned over his slumbering lover, lips hovering just over the shell of his exposed ear and whispered, "Did you honestly think you'd get off that easily?"

Shuichi's lax lips turned up in a dreamy smile. "Don't tease…" he mumbled while snuggling deeper into Eiri's pillow.

"Tell me, what would you like me to do…?" Eiri let his lips caress the sensitive skin just barely as he spoke while running a fingertip along Shuichi's naked thigh.

Giggling as he squirmed away, he whispered, "Tickles…stop…"

"Never, not so long as there's breath in my body. I belong to you, remember?"

"Yuki?" Shuichi blinked slowly, not quite sure if he had been dreaming the tender words.

"You were expecting someone else to crawl into _my_ bed with you?"

* * *

**_So there you have it...now push that green button below and tell me if I should keep going!!!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Bowing and scraping before my faithful readers….My sincerest apologies for the long wait on this update!! Between writer's block, six other stories I'm working on, everyday life and preparing for my trip Ohayoco…well, let's just say things have been a little hectic these past few weeks! But because of all the wonderful reviews, I was determined to get this out for you before I left for the convention!!! Many thanks to clnv for trying to kick my muse in the butt to get this, or any of my other stories, back on track!! I love you more!!!!**_

_**Please don't forget to drop me a line after you're done reading and let me know what you think!!**_

_**Disclaimer: Gravitation, nor any of the delectable men in that wonderful universe, are mine… but a girl can dream… very naughty dreams at that…**_

* * *

Chapter 3:

Shuichi awoke to the soft chirping of birds outside and warm streams of sunlight across his face. _Forgot to shut the blinds again…_ He slowly rubbed the sleep from his eyes and moved the thick down comforter from his still-naked body. Just as he started to slide out from beneath the covers, iron bands of warm flesh wrapped around his waist like a vice.

"Where do you think you're going?" Eiri's tired voice murmured while pulling the singer tight against his chest.

Smiling softly as he snuggled back into his lover's chest, he replied, "I'm going to make you some coffee."

"Oh." Yuki nuzzled Shuichi's neck before nipping at the juncture of his shoulder. Hearing Shu's soft giggle, he pushed the boy from the bed. "Then get your ass up, Brat!"

After landing in an undignified heap on the cold floor, Shuichi screamed, "You are such a bastard! Maybe I'll drink it all myself before you even get to the kitchen!" He saw Eiri's eyebrow twitch menacingly, so he grabbed the black silk shirt from the floor and scrambled for the door. "I get dibs on the shower!" he proclaimed from the safety of the hallway.

"Like hell!" the blonde boomed furiously.

Shuichi laughed as he heard the distinctive _thump_ of Yuki's bare feet hitting the wood flooring. _Works every time!_

Eiri slipped into his robe, stood and worked the kinks out of his neck. Glancing down the now deserted hallway, he checked to make sure his lover was out of ear shot before picking up the phone. He quickly punched in the numbers of the one person he dreaded talking to at this time of day.

"_Good morning, Eiri," _the chipper voice greeted.

"Not yet," he replied with a grin as he sat back down on the edge of the king-size mattress. "Is everything arranged, Tohma?"

"_It's in the final stages as we speak. Though I must say, K-san was not pleased with this idea. He doesn't like the fact that you plan on whisking our top talent away at such a critical time."_

"What about you? You don't exactly sound delighted with my grand design, either."

There was a long pause on the line. Eiri was just about to ask if Seguchi was still there when he heard the man release a long suffering sigh. _"I'll be honest, Eiri; I'm not happy about it. This single will give us a better idea of how the fans will react to the new album and the press is absolutely vital at this stage."_

Eiri frowned. "How do you think the press would react if he passes out in the middle of an interview? Or – worse yet – during one of their concerts? The kid's exhausted, Tohma!"

"_After the single is released he can take a few days off—"_

"He'll be in a hospital by then! You don't see him like I do, so you wouldn't understand. He is up till all hours of the night working on the next song, naps for an hour or two, reports to the studio, rehearse, record, off to some function or another, and then rinse and repeat!" He ran frustrated fingers through his hair and accused waspishly, "You're killing him, Seguchi!"

"_I hadn't realized it had become that bad," _the voice on the other end whispered. _"He's always so energetic. I'd assumed that he was up to whatever K-san threw at them!"_

Eiri chuckled wryly. "Do you honestly think he'd let something as trivial as physical exhaustion stop him from staying on top?"

Tohma had to agree with him. The young singer would do whatever it took to be Number One. That tenacity was one of the few things the President of NG Records admired in Shuichi._ "Thank you, Eiri, for helping me to see things more clearly. I shall finalize the details and call you back soon."_

"Hey, Tohma… Thanks a lot. I appreciate the effort." It took a great amount of pride-swallowing for those words to pass Eiri's lips, but for Shuichi, it was well worth it.

"_I'm only doing this because __you__ are the one asking!" _Seguchi chuckled warmly before hanging up.

In the kitchen, Shuichi hummed a mindless tune, trying to bring the swirling notes in his head into some kind of order. Suppressing a wide yawn behind his hand, he glanced at the progress of the slowly trickling coffee pot. _I think it's time to buy a new one. This damn thing is getting slower by the day!_ Hearing the water begin to run in the shower, he grinned. He imagined the lithe form of his lover stepping under the steaming spray, lathering that flawless chest with the exotic, spicy-smelling shower gel he'd given Eiri as a birthday gift and felt his hormones stir to life.

So lost in the daydreams that were filling his mind, Shuichi was oblivious to the stealthy approach of his boyfriend. When Eiri picked the smaller man up in a vice grip, Shuichi squeaked like a school girl. "Yuki! What the hell?"

"The bathroom isn't steamy enough," was all he gave as an explanation before hauling his lover, still clad in his favorite black silk shirt, into the shower.

* * *

Bending to stuff the bed sheets into the washer, Shuichi winced as he felt a slight pull. _Not that I'm complaining, but damn…!_ He smirked a bit, remembering the more-aggressive-than-usual performance of his lover in the shower. _And then on the floor of the bathroom, against the wall in the hallway and finally the marathon session in the bedroom…_Eiri always had possessed incredible, super-human stamina!

The phone chirped from the living room and he was about to race to answer it when he heard Eiri call, "I've got it!" Shuichi's jaw hit the floor in shock. _Mister 'let the machine get it' Yuki is answering the phone? Have I died and gone to hell?_ Tip-toeing into the living room he saw his lover leaning casually against the balcony door sipping coffee while grunting into the phone.

"I'll have him there on time, Tohma. Just relax, everything will be fine. K should be more than aware how these things work." The writer remained silent for a few moments before saying, "Well, just tell that neurotic mess of a producer to take a few Zanex. I'll see you at three."

"What was that all about?" Shuichi asked while pouring a fresh cup of the dark, aromatic brew. "And since when do _you_ answer the house phone?"

Eiri cuffed the singer in the head. "It's my phone, I can answer it whenever I like!"

"Technically," Shu replied with a serious face, "it's my phone. You threw the last one against the wall when K threatened my life for calling in sick."

"My name is on the bill," he corrected, "therefore, it's my phone."

The young man rolled his eyes in surrender. "Quit dodging the question, Yuki; what were you talking to Seguchi-san about?"

"Bad Luck's Press Junket at three o'clock today."

"My what?" he asked in bewilderment. "What's that?"

"It's my solution to your week-long nightmare." An evil smirk tilted his lips. "And Seguchi's latest headache." Seeing the still confused look on Shuichi's face, he elaborated. "A Press Junket is something that American entertainment companies use to promote their products. They gather a bunch of press together in one place—usually a hotel or conference center—and each of them get a room. The people promoting the product then go from room to room to sit for a short interview before moving on to the next one."

Understanding lit the singer's eyes. "That's brilliant! Why didn't we ever think of this before?"

"Because you're an uncultured group of idiots?" he intoned in a deadpan voice.

Shuichi stuck his tongue out at the blonde.

"What have I told you about that?" Eiri growled. A glint of lust glittered in his golden-hazel eyes.

Gulping, Shuichi tried to back away as he warned, "Don't even think about it, Eiri. I can barely walk as it is!" Eiri smirked again, which tempted the singer to repeat the action out of spite. Thinking better of it, he frowned and asked, "Why didn't K ever mention anything like this? He was Ryuichi's manager in America, so I'm sure he knew about that sort of thing."

"Like I said; you're a bunch of idiots and K is your king." After downing the last of his coffee, he set the cup in the sink and approached his lover. He lowered his lips to the sweet, pouting mouth and drank of Shuichi's essence in a slow, lingering kiss. Breaking away, he murmured, "You'd better get in the shower before I'm too tempted to call Seguchi back and cancel the whole thing."

Shuichi groaned in protest as he clung to the writer's silk robe. "You mean it's not too late?" Feeling Eiri's rumbling chuckle, he pushed the tall blonde away in a huff. "You call _me_ a tease!"

"I'll get your clothes ready," he said while pulling a fresh smoke from his pack, watching that pert little ass move across the living room. "You'll be performing the new single after you're done with the press." He heard another groan emerge from down the hallway before the bathroom door slammed shut.

When Shuichi entered the bedroom an hour later, he noticed that Eiri had kept his word. Laid out on the bed were his favorite pair of black leather pants, the amethyst silk dress shirt that Eiri had given him this past Christmas and his silver chain belt that he'd been saving for a special performance. Pulling on the skin tight pants, he heard the unmistakable tapping of keys. _Maybe he's just getting a head start on his next book before our vacation,_ he consoled himself. He knew that writing was in Yuki's blood, much like music was a living, breathing force in his own soul. He just wished that – for once – the man would take a well deserved break!

Noticing that it was nearly two o'clock, Shu quickly finished dressing. He made sure the handcuff-like buckle of the belt sat just off to the left of his zipper, letting the triple chains drape off his hip. The silver links sparkled against the supple black pants and the un-tucked, iridescent silk shirt shimmered in the soft light that was streaming through the window as he strutted and shifted before the cheval mirror.

Eyeing him self critically, he voiced his thoughts with a scowl. "It's missing something!"

"Do you doubt my fashion sense?" Yuki asked from the doorway.

"No, but it just seems so…plain."

Eiri grunted sardonically. "You mean there isn't enough skin showing?"

"Do I detect a hint of jealousy?" Shuichi smirked. He was well aware of Eiri's thoughts on his usual stage wear, or lack thereof. After the incident where a particularly exuberant fan jumped the stage and tackled him to the ground, Eiri stopped watching from the back of the clubs and concert halls. Instead, he stood just off stage where he could fling any such daring person back into the crowd.

"No, you damn brat, you do not. You simply won't have time between the last interview and the performance to paint your clothes on!"

"Oh, quit bitching and help me figure out what's missing!" Shu giggled as he slid over to the closet. Eiri grunted once again and stomped away. "My, my; aren't we in a snit?"

A few minutes later, a large ball of leather hit a scowling Shuichi in the head as he flipped through Eiri's extensive – and mostly unused – tie collection. "What the fuck--?"

"Try that," the blonde grumbled while moving to his closet and shoved the sputtering singer out of the way. "How many times have I told you to stay out of my clothes?" Pulling out a pair of comfortable blue jeans and his favorite cream-colored cashmere sweater, he said, "That should be fine for the performance."

Picking up the black trench, Shuichi slipped it on and walked back to the mirror. "It's perfect! You're the best, Yuki!" He tackled his lover to the bed and rained kisses over his face.

"Uhn, don't forget it either." He pushed the wriggling mass off of him. "Go get your shoes on; we have to leave in ten minutes."

For good measure, Shu bit the lobe of Eiri's ear, tugging gently on the silver hoop. Before he could get the clobbering that was promised in his lover's eyes, he darted from the room. Eiri just shook his head futilely before heading into the bathroom. He glowered at the mess of bottles, tubes, brushes and styling tools that littered the counter. "I'm not cleaning this mess, Shu!" he called darkly.

"Yeah, yeah; I'll get it later! You want me to start the car?"

"Touch my keys and you're a dead man!" He threatened as he entered the living room.

Shuichi simply stared in awe at the vision moving confidently toward him. "How do you do it?"

Golden brows arched in question before a pair of dark sunglasses covered them.

"How do you manage to look so perfect with such little effort?"

"I just don't give a shit," he answered with a smirk. "I'm a writer; who cares what I look like? Let's get this over with."

* * *

"You know, Shu," Hiro commented and threw his arm around the singer's shoulders as they walked down the hall to the final interview of the day. "I really hate to admit it, but this was a great idea! I think we should do this sort of thing from now on."

Fujisaki agreed whole-heartedly with the guitarist. "We'll have to thank Yuki-san for convincing my cousin and K-san to let us do this."

Shuichi smiled at his friends and paused before the conference room door. "I don't think he really gave Seguchi-san a choice. But, yeah; this has been a great day! I'm so pumped about singing the new single!" Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the long barrel of a pistol pointing at them from down the hallway. Shuichi sighed heavily and turned the knob behind him. "We'd better get a move on, guys. I think K might actually be packing live ammo today!"

Plastering on their 'interview' smiles, the threesome entered the room and took their seats at the long table. Across from them sat a female reporter and a male photographer from America's Rolling Stone Magazine. "Good Evening," Shuichi greeted in stuttering English, surprising the other five occupants. He blushed slightly, shrugged and explained in his native tongue, "Yuki's been teaching me some English."

"Good evening, Shindo-san," the petite, red-headed reporter replied. "My name is Sherri Sitkiewicz." Shuichi smiled at her less than perfect Japanese. "I believe we're waiting for an interpreter to make this a bit easier on all of us," she said with a slight chuckle.

"Great," Suguru groaned. "That means K-san will be hovering and who knows if he's actually telling them what we say!"

The door opened behind them just as Shuichi opened his mouth to reply. Instead, his eyes grew as large as saucers at the voice that spoke.

"Fear not, Fujisaki-san," Eiri said in an even tone. "K has been banned from this interview for that very reason." He greeted the American reporters before taking the seat at the head of the table. Turning toward the members of Bad Luck, he explained that Rolling Stone was writing an article about Japan's top bands. Seguchi felt that it was time for the group to have a bit more international exposure. "Any questions?"

Before Shuichi could open his mouth, Hiro asked, "Why are you doing the translating?"

"Because K is an idiot who would do anything to boost sales," he informed them smoothly. "While that may be his job, Tohma wants to ensure a positive, informative interview that is also completely accurate. Is that all?" When they all nodded, he looked to the reporters and said, "We may begin."

"First, I'd like to thank you all for sitting with us. I promise to make this as painless as possible."

"We are always glad to promote our work, Sitz…Shitsu…" Shuichi desperately tried to wrap his tongue around the proper enunciation of her name, fearing that he might have offended her.

"Sherri is fine, Shindo-san." She giggled at the facial expressions he was making while trying to pronounce her last name. "Don't feel bad; most people in my own country have difficulty saying it correctly!"

Eiri rolled his eyes in exasperation as he translated. When Shuichi gaped, he explained, "It's fine; the social graces are a bit more lax in America, so no one's going to get upset with you speaking her name so casually."

Once getting over that initial stumbling block, the group relaxed a bit. Sherri paid equal attention to each of them – directing questions to them as a group and as individuals – something that most of the previous interviewers hadn't done. The local media had always considered Shuichi the bands 'voice' and directed their questions mainly toward him; it was a fact that often irritated the singer. Without the others, he probably wouldn't have gotten very far in this business.

The interviewer was extremely knowledgeable about their body of work and that of several other groups that were considered their competition. "We know that you have performed with Nittle Grasper on several occasions. Aren't they your rivals?"

Shuichi laughed at that question and at Eiri's low growl. "Sakuma-san and I are great friends! In fact, you could say that Sakuma-san saved Bad Luck!"

"Oh, how is that?" Sherri asked with genuine curiosity.

Shu and Hiro explained the near-catastrophic events of their first performance at Zepp Tokyo's clubhouse, leaving Eiri's name and involvement out of it, of course.

The Americans were astounded at the story. "You mean that he had never heard you sing, but gave you such a glowing endorsement?" the photographer asked before taking a quick, candid shot of the musicians.

Shuichi scratched the back of his head and chuckled. "Sakuma-san later told me that he was feeling nostalgic and that we reminded him of Seguchi-san and himself in their early days!"

"Where were you during all of this?" Sherri asked Suguru.

"My cousin hired me a few days later to help them out, but I must back up Shindo-san on the whole 'Us vs. Them' question. We have a friendly rivalry with Nittle Grasper; if we release a single, they will usually be back in the studio within a week and vice-versa."

Hiro ran his fingers through his thick hair and laughed. "It's actually kinda creepy! If Sakuma-san changes his look, Shu is tossing his whole wardrobe to out-do him! If Shuichi changes a dance step, Sakuma-san is hiring a new choreographer!"

The reporter laughed. "Ryuichi is well known in America for his eccentricity. I'd always thought it was merely the culture gap between our countries that made him seem so odd."

"Nope," Hiro assured her. "It's hard to tell who's more random; Shu and Sakuma-san are like twins in that respect. But they are, thankfully, the exceptions to the rule in our society!"

By this time, Eiri had gone through a half pack of cigarettes, three cups of coffee and four migraine pills. All this talk of that idiot Sakuma was beginning to make him ill! "Can we move on, please?" he asked the reporter.

"Of course, Yuki-san," Sherri replied with a flush. "I know that you need to prepare for the performance. One last question?"

Glaring at Shuichi, he warned, "We'll discuss this later." Shuichi gulped loudly at the silent threat in those golden eyes as he listened to the actual interpreted question.

"How far do you see Bad Luck going in the next year or so?"

"Well, we've already conquered Japan, Korea and almost half of China," Hiro explained.

"Hopefully in the next few years we'll be able to top the charts in your country," Suguru told her with a triumphant grin.

Shuichi, on the other hand, just cackled evilly. The look in his deep violet eyes had the reporter shivering in fear, while his band mates groaned. They had known that going for an entire thirty minute interview without some kind of insane outburst was too good to be true. Thankfully, all the other interviews had had only minor bouts of randomness from the singer. It didn't seem they would be quite so lucky this time.

"In two years?" he asked, grinning like a mad scientist. Shuichi jumped from his chair and on to the tabletop in one fluid motion, raising his fist in the air high above his head. _"Worldo Domunatsion!"_ he yelled while laughing maniacally.

Unable to take any more, Eiri's forehead hit the desk so hard he was surprised it didn't crack. "So speaks the idiot," he groaned in Japanese. In fluid English, he declared, "Interview over!"

* * *

_**Thanks again for taking the time to read my story… I promise that as soon as I can tame my post con excitement I will be hard at work on the next chapter!!!**_

_**Don't forget to press the little button below**_

_**Reviews make me smile, do a little happy dance and they encourage me to keep writing! It's nice to know that at least SOMEONE out there thinks I can write a decent story!!!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**_I can't believe how long it's been since I posted to this story! I had a few life changes interrupt my writing, not to mention losing half this chapter to the computer gremlins! Thank Heaven for my dear friend that saves practically every word I write… it is because of her that this chapter was able to be finished, edited and finalized to my satisfaction…and hopefully yours as well! If you know or look up the song First Snow by BoA, please keep an open mind… I know she is a girl, and Shuichi is a guy, but the song spoke to me. I never actually intended for this to be a songfic, but that's how these things sometimes work out. Please review and let me know what you think!_**

_**Disclaimer: I own no rights, nor make any profit from Gravitation; it's characters, or the telling of this story. The same holds true for "First Snow". All rights of the song belong to BoA Kwon and her various affiliations.**_

* * *

Chapter 4

Shuichi sat before the mirror in the small dressing room. After two years of playing arenas and concert halls, this room seemed more like a closet, but, being Shindo Shuichi, he didn't notice, much less care. He'd heard of performers who had outrageous demands that must be met before they would even consider agreeing to an engagement. Bad Luck, however, didn't care about any of that. Their mission had always been to play their music, put on a great show for their fans and have fun!

The only stipulation he ever made was to have ten minutes alone before each performance and a bottle of spring water. It had become a ritual over the years; at first he would spend the time getting in the 'zone'. These days, however, he used it as a time to reflect on his life, his career and where he would go next. Although his appearance may not have changed very much since they had debuted, the various experiences he'd lived through had brought on a certain maturity, a wisdom that no twenty year-old should possess.

If given the choice, there was very little that the singer would have changed. Sure, he still had the same vibrancy that had initially carried him to the top, but he had learned to temper it somewhat in his everyday life. After the nearly disastrous events when he'd chased Eiri all the way to New York, he'd worked very hard to be able to recognize his lover's various – and often volatile – mood swings, which had led to them becoming a stronger and much more stable couple. The most recent change in living arrangements had been a testament to the fact that Eiri was no longer frightened of committing to their relationship.

Shuichi had his eyes closed as he softly hummed along with the gentle piano melody that resonated through the ear buds that were attached to his MP3 player. He didn't hear the door open and close behind him, but somehow he knew he was no longer alone in the small room. A soft smile graced his features as he reached over his shoulder and started singing the last chorus of the new single.

Eiri bypassed the hand that was held out to him and wrapped his arms around Shuichi from behind, letting himself drown in the beauty of the boy's voice. When the last note hung in the air, he plucked the ear bud out and whispered, "Zero talent as always."

Shuichi couldn't help but giggle; this had become a long running game between them. "You always say that, but you never offer to help me get better."

Tugging gently on the singer's lobe he muttered, "That's because your voice makes everything sound better, even your own god-awful lyrics."

"Eiri…" Shuichi shivered at the delicious warmth that spread from that sensitive appendage to his groin as Eiri dipped his teasing tongue sensuously into his ear. "Stop that…" he breathed.

"Can I help it if you taste so good? Maybe you should stop using all that fruity shit in the shower." He emphasized his point by slowly sucking on the tender skin of Shuichi's neck.

Shu shot from the chair and examined the spot in the mirror. "Yuki, you bastard! Will you quit leaving marks like that?"

Eiri gave his partner a nonchalant shrug in the mirror. "I'm simply reminding _them_ that you belong to me."

"Because this," he scoffed while wiggling the silver band on his finger, "isn't enough proof?"

Refusing to comment, Eiri grabbed that same hand and began to walk from the room. "Your time is up, Brat. The others are waiting for you."

_Okay, something's wrong…_ "What happened, Eiri?"

"Nothing," he bit out.

Shuichi jerked his hand back, causing the blonde to look back. "I'm not moving until you tell me what's got you so upset."

"I'm not upset!"

"Bullshit," he accused.

Stuffing a cigarette between his lips, Eiri took the extra few seconds to school his features and bring his temper under control. Expelling the smoke with a harsh breath, he finally said, "I overheard some of those damn reporters…"

"They were talking about us?"

"Yes… No… They were betting that one of them could lay you before you took the stage."

It was an old problem that never failed to upset the writer. "Eiri, you know I would never—"

"I know, I know! Why you haven't still amazes me…"

"Because I know how it feels and I would never intentionally put you through that!" he cried in exasperation. "I love _you_! I am happy with _you_! _You _are all I ever wanted! _They_ only want me for my image." He wrapped his arms around Eiri's waist and leaned his head on the man's chest, reveling in the steady rhythm of his lover's beating heart. "When are you going to finally believe that?"

"When you give up singing?" he rejoined in a soft tone.

"Not gonna happen," Shu said with a slight chuckle. "Although I might consider it the day you stop tapping out those novels." He gave the man one last squeeze and reached for the door. "Let's go, Yuki. My public awaits!"

* * *

"Are you actually nervous, Shu?" Hiro asked as they waited for their cue to take the stage.

"It's weird; I was fine until Eiri left to go sit with Seguchi-san. I mean, he's heard the song before but…" Shuichi nervously pulled at the hem of his shirt.

"You're being stupid," Suguru inserted. "Why should you care about what Yuki-san thinks about this song? He hates all of them, doesn't he?"

Shuichi glared at the keyboardist. "He doesn't hate them! He just says that to piss me off so I'll try harder!" At his band mate's skeptical look, he took a deep breath and explained, "All the others were things I felt. This song is about a shared and cherished memory. I just don't want to embarrass him by telling the rest of the world about it…"

"I think that he would have said something about it before now," Hiro assured the anxious singer while patting him on the head. "Yuki-san wouldn't keep something like that to himself, would he?"

"Well, no…" Just then the house lights dimmed. "I guess it's too late to change it now."

"That's right, so let's go out there and blow them away with Bad Luck's most heart wrenching ballad so far!" Hiro clapped his friends on the back and shoved them out onto the stage.

Eiri watched Shuichi's transformation as soon as he hit the stage. It was almost as though the energetic boy became a different person; gone was the hyperactive child that he lived with. In his place was a man that fairly hummed with a seductive aura that never failed to captivate the audience. It was a change that always stirred mixed emotions in the writer.

"I wonder," Tohma murmured from beside Yuki, "how the fans will react to this song."

"Why?"

"Well, Shindo-san made such a big deal about the band needing Nakano-san and his guitar, yet here they are, about to perform a song that doesn't have a single guitar chord in it."

Eiri rolled his eyes. "I seriously doubt anyone will care, Tohma. Those three could perform with a bunch of toddlers banging on pots and their fans would love it."

Shuichi looked out on the small audience and took a deep breath. This was a closed concert that was simply for the benefit of the press that had been asked to attend the Junket. There would be no screaming fans here today, only professional reporters and photographers. Normally, it would be that enthusiastic energy that would feed his performance. The fact that this show would lack that excitement made the singer even more nervous. His eyes frantically searched out the blonde head of his partner for some sign of support. Finally spotting Eiri where he sat between Seguchi-san and Sakano-san at the back of the room, he gave the writer a small smile. He saw Eiri return the gesture and knew that everything would be fine.

Suguru took his seat at the huge, black grand piano after showing Hiro what needed to be done to cue up the rest of the 'computerized' arrangement. The man was a veritable genius when it came to making the trio of musicians sound like a full orchestra was sharing the stage with them! The real challenge had been separating everything except the piano from the track's original version to a separate CD for live performances like this one. He'd insisted that a 'recorded' piano track would have less impact on the audience and had loathed the idea of bringing in a less-than-adequate keyboardist to assist him.

Shuichi had swallowed his pride and offered to ask Seguchi-san to play the synthesizer arrangement, but Suguru Fujisaki flatly and emphatically refused. _"I don't know about you, Shindo-san, but I for one would rather scrap the whole thing than have people believe it was my cousin's genius that came up with the arrangement!"_ That had been the end of that argument, which Shuichi was secretly grateful for.

"Welcome, everyone! I'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for coming out here today, on such short notice, to talk with us and hear our newest single. I know that a lot of you asked about the background on this song during our interviews. I told you that I didn't want to keep repeating myself and I apologize for making you all wait for your answer.

"This song is a bit different from all of our others thus far. The first change is that Hiro will not be playing his guitar." He waited a moment for the surprised murmuring to stop. "Don't worry; it's only for this particular song. We decided to focus more on his singing. He really does have an amazing voice!" The audience laughed and applauded, causing the guitarist to blush a bit. "Second, and more importantly, this ballad is a bit more…personal than most of the others. As most of you know, I write my lyrics from my heart, but this one is based on a special moment in my life." Shimmering amethyst eyes met gold across the room; in that brief second, all the love and devotion the two shared was expressed without a single word being spoken. Tearing his eyes away from Eiri, Shuichi smiled beguilingly at his rapt audience and said, "So, without any further delay, here is 'First Snow'"

He nodded to Hiro, who keyed in the sequence on the laptop that was hooked up to the synthesizer before moving to stand beside Shuichi. Suguru's fingers slid gracefully over the ivories, the soft introduction wafting through the room over the hushed audience.

Hiro and Shuichi grinned at each other as they began to snap the slow tempo. At the slight pause, Shuichi raised his mouth to the microphone and closed his eyes as the beautiful memory of that long ago winter evening floated through his mind.

_**Hajimete no deeto mita eiga  
Fuyu no machi de au shiin  
Nanigenai koe de itte kureta  
Hatsuyuki no hi wa kitto aou to**_

_**(In the movie we saw on our first date  
There's a scene where two people meet in a winter town  
You said casually  
Let's make sure we meet up on the day of the first snow)**_

_**Joudan demo ureshikatta yakusoku ne**_

_**(Even though you were kidding, I was so happy – I promise)**_

_**Ai ga yobu kono hatsuyuki no hi wa  
Futari dake ni wa wakariaeru no  
Shiroku somatteku machi ni ai no ato wo  
Kimi to egakou, zutto**_

_**(Only the two of us know  
How love summoned this first snow  
As the town is painted in white, let's draw  
Marks of our love, forever)**_

The crowd gazed in awe at the sheer magnificence of his voice. There was a haunting serenity as Shuichi poured all that he had into the lyrics. It was obvious that the singer had pulled from deep within to produce such touching words and be able to sing them with such soul-deep intensity.

No one could deny that there was something stirring about watching Shuichi on stage and Eiri was no more immune to it than anyone else in the room. The petite performer possessed a presence that was all encompassing and inescapable. But there was a difference this time from all the others; Shuichi's beautiful voice resonated with all the love and devotion that Yuki alone had witnessed that cold winter night. He smiled at the pleasure that wrapped around him, knowing that while all the others may fall in love with one part of the pop star or another, only he knew the joy of loving all of him. Better yet was the knowledge of knowing that Shuichi loved him just as much – if not more – in return.

Shuichi opened his eyes to that angelic and oh-so-rare smile. The music ebbed and flowed around him while everything else disappeared. Those golden, leonine eyes watched him from afar, but the singer had never felt closer to his beloved than at this moment.

_**Deaeta koro kara  
Ichinen wo sugoshita ne  
Tama ni wa kenka mo shita kedo  
Ano yakusoku  
Saisho no kimochi modoreta**_

_**(We've spent a year together  
Since we first met  
Sometimes we fought  
But that promise  
Brought back the way we felt in the beginning)**_

_**Naze yuki wa fuyu shika furanai no?**_

_**(Why does snow only fall in the winter?)**_

_**Fuwafuwa shiroi hana mai ochiru  
Futari wo terasu tiara ni naru yo  
Negai wa hitotsu  
Kawaranai kimochi de  
Iraremasu you ni, kimi to**_

_**(Soft white snow floats down  
And forms glittering tiaras on our heads  
I have only one wish  
That I can have a feeling that never changes  
With you)**_

Hiro and Suguru shared a quick, questioning glance at the trance-like state of their vocalist. They'd been through hundreds of performances, both with and without Eiri in attendance. But never had they seen Shuichi so engrossed with his partner's presence. It was as though they were the only two people in the room.

The musicians weren't the only ones to notice the strange phenomena; every member of the audience was turning in their seats to see what had captured the attention of the singer so completely. Once they saw who sat in the invisible spotlight, reporters began scribbling frantically on their note pads. Seguchi sighed regretfully at the shift he knew they would take on reporting the new single and prayed that he would be able to keep Eiri's involvement minimal.

That desire was given a very quick death when the blonde stood at the same moment Shuichi took the microphone from its stand. Every eye watched as Eiri walked up to the stage, climbed the steps with ease and took Shuichi's outstretched hand in his own.

_**Ai ga yobu kono hatsuyuki ni hi wa  
Futari dake ni wa wakariaeru no  
Shiroku somatteku machi ni ai no ato wo  
Kimi to egakou sa rang hae**_

_**Only the two of us know  
How love summoned this first snow  
As the town is painted in white, let's draw  
Marks of our love, sa rang hae***_

Amethyst eyes sparkled with unshed tears as they gazed into Eiri's golden orbs. The last three words were sung barely above a whisper; Shuichi was simply overwhelmed by the onslaught of love for this beautiful, impossibly infuriating man. While the line was truly part of the song, in that moment it was a reaffirmation of the promise he'd made that night as they lay side by side in the snow, watching the large white flakes float down from heaven.

"_I'll never leave you, Eiri."_

Eiri gently cupped his hand at the nape of the singer's neck and pulled him into a bone-crushing embrace. "I love you, too, you damn brat," he whispered fiercely. "Thank you for saving my life."

Neither of them took heed of the strobe-like effects of the photographer's cameras or the frantically scribbling reporters. Shuichi's ring glinted as he clung to Eiri's shoulders, causing a low murmur among the crowd, one long, low moan from NG Productions president, a gleeful cackle from the band's manager and a distinct _**THUNK**_ as Bad Luck's neurotic producer hit the floor in a dead faint.

* * *

The seven men sat around a low table at one of Tokyo's best high-end sushi restaurants, discussing the success – and possible disaster – of Bad Luck's first Press Junket. "Honestly, we should do these more often," Shuichi suggested around a spicy shrimp roll.

Suguru inserted, "Maybe not all the time, but definitely before the release of our albums. It was much easier than a press conference and I think the reporters were pleased at the prospect of not having to wait until it was old news before we could do the one-on-one interviews."

Seguchi looked at each of the group's members, taking in the relaxed postures and easy smiles. He gave them all a genuine smile and said, "While I agree that it went better than I anticipated, I still worry that your little stunt will have serious ramifications, Shindo-san."

Shuichi waved his chopsticks in a dismissive gesture while leaning against his lover's shoulder. "Yuki and I are old news," he said. "I doubt it will be more than a comment about how amazing it is we've been together for so long."

"Well, they wouldn't be the only ones amazed by it," Hiro laughed. "I applaud Yuki-san for putting up with you for all these years!" Easily dodging the shove Shuichi directed at him, he locked an arm around the singer's neck and ruffled his hair. "I'm just teasing, Shu!"

Sakano looked nervously at his boss and said nervously, "While that may be true here, what about those reporters from America? What if they only print what happened at the end of the song? What if we're banned from America?"

"Relax, Sakano," K sighed. "You'll find American's don't care much about that. There have been several foreign artists that had a huge success rate in the States, regardless of the fact that they had – how do I put this? – questionable sexual preferences."

"Really?" Shuichi asked as he squirmed away from Hiro's relentless noogies. "Like who?"

"Elton John, Freddy Mercury, and David Bowie to name a few," K informed him.

"Never heard of them." Shuichi shrugged and dug into his spring rolls.

Chuckling softly, Seguchi cast sympathetic eyes on the American. "Makes one feel old, ne?"

K merely grinned and said, "Not old; just extremely educated."

Eiri couldn't help but smile. He easily anticipated Shuichi's response to the blonde American's jibe and placed a firm, restraining hand on his lover's shoulder just before he was able to lunge across the table.

"Did you just call me stupid?"

Fearing a public scene in such a well-respected place, Sakano quickly asked, "So where do you plan on going for your vacation, Shindo-san?"

Shuichi blinked and turned questioning eyes to his partner. "Where _are _we going, Yuki?"

"You'll find out when we get there," he replied in a non-committal voice. Taking a moment to glare across the table at K and Tohma, he informed them in a warning tone, "We won't be taking our phones. I'd better not spot anyone following us, either."

"You won't," Tohma assured his brother-in-law. "Just so long as Shindo-san reports back to the studio by ten o'clock Monday morning, there won't be any problems."

The members of Bad Luck gaped at their boss in shock. "Six days? We get six days off? In a row?" Shuichi asked in shock.

"Hot damn! Kyoto, here I come!" Hiro shouted.

Suguru smiled serenely. "Sleep…I can sleep! And finally unpack my apartment!"

Glancing at his watch, Eiri stood and threw some bills down on the table. "Let's go, Brat. Our flight leaves in five hours and we have things to…do."

Shuichi couldn't mistake the glint of lust in the blonde's eyes and smiled. He stood and bowed to his friends and superiors before taking Yuki's hand. "Let's go home, Yuki."

"Hey Yuki," Shuichi called from the bedroom, "What should I pack?"

Eiri sighed as he made his way to the room they shared. "I don't remember saying you would need any clothes, Shu."

"Oh, har-har…" Shuichi started rifling through his closet, pulling out a few of his favorite jeans and t-shirts before throwing them on the bed. "Does that mean we're going shopping while we're there?"

"Nice try, Kid," Eiri scoffed. "I'm not telling you where we're going until we are on the plane."

"Meanie," he pouted while pulling out two of his favorite hoodies. "Do I need to bring a suit?"

"Yeah, your birthday suit should be more than enough," the blonde quipped as he threw some clothes into a small case. He looked up in time to see Shuichi's pink tongue retreat into his mouth. "Do I need to arrange a later flight?"

Gulping at the lustful gleam in Eiri's eyes, Shuichi shook his head and gathered a few more necessities from his dresser. "I don't understand what all the secrecy is about, Eiri. The taxi will be here in an hour and then we'll be all alone for six…whole…days…" Shuichi's voice faded as his eyes glazed over dreamily.

Before the boy could melt into a puddle of Shu-goo on his floor, Eiri thunked him on the head. "Wake up! I don't trust you to open your mouth before we get on the plane! The last thing we need is for some reporter or crazed fan to follow us! Worse yet, I don't want Tohma to know where we are!"

Shuichi continued to pout as he gathered his stuff from the bathroom. He hated not knowing what he would need and dreaded that Eiri wouldn't let him go out to get whatever he hadn't brought with him. But the thought of spending six days locked in a room with the god-like man wasn't such a bad prospect, either. Dumping the various bottles, cans and styling tools into his bag before zipping it shut, he declared. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be!"

"Good, I'll take the bags to the door; you make sure everything's locked up." He leaned down to capture the singer's lips in a brief kiss, but to his surprise, Shuichi took command of the exchange. Eiri dropped his case to the floor as his petite lover dominated his mouth in an uncharacteristic display of aggression. Moaning softly, he wrapped his arms around Shuichi and waited to see how far he'd take this.

Shuichi didn't know where the courage came from to all but attack Yuki's mouth, but sensing that the writer was willing to allow it, he became even more emboldened and rubbed his pelvis suggestively against him. He mentally smirked at the immediate response of his lover and broke the kiss. "Just a little something to hold you over until we get wherever we're going…" he panted while trailing love-bites along the blonde's tender neck.

Eiri chuckled and said, "Didn't I mention we were taking a _private_ plane?"

* * *

_**Reviews make me smile, and they encourage me that at least SOMEONE out there thinks I can write a decent story!**_


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